i have a meager collection of 70's advertising cookbooks - things like '7-Up Goes to a Party!', '500 Tasty SANDWICHES', and Arden Farms Co.'s highly prized 'Arden Cookbook (compiled and planned by the home economic department)'. as my neighbor was having a 70's-themed party, i thought i would complement her already-impressive assortment of casseroles and dips by making something from one of my cookbooks. it was easy to rule out making anything from '500 Tasty SANDWICHES' - it is full of recipes for queasy-inducing dishes like "Frosted Party Special" - ingredients include eggs, pimientos, mayo, ground cooked ham, sweet pickles, 48 thin slices bread, cream cheese, and cream. while science clearly demands that i explore some of these recipes in the future, this was not the time or event, so i went with the charming and harmless 'pineapple torte,' the recipe for which i present graphically 1) for accuracy 2) because i am lazy:
did i wear nothing but a towel while making this dish? you betcha! i have no cooking notes to add - this is actually a tasty and accurate, if odd, recipe.
pineapple torte alone does not dinner for 6 make, however, so i busted out the most recent cook's illustrated and got to work on the chicken tikka masala recipe:
Chicken Tikka
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp table salt
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
2 tbsps vegetable oil
2 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed (about 2 tsps)
1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
Masala Sauce
3 tbsps butter
1 medium onion, diced fine (about 1 1/4 cups)
2-4 medium garlic cloves , minced or pressed through a garlic press
2 tsps grated fresh ginger
1-2 fresh serrano chiles, ribs and seeds removed, flesh minced
1 tbsp tomato paste
2 tbsps garam masala
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
2 tsps sugar
1 tsp table salt
1.5 cup heavy cream
for the chicken: combine spices in a small bowl and rub into all surfaces of the chicken breasts; put the chicken onto a plate and cover with saran wrap, then refrigerate for at least 30m. in a bowl large enough to hold a chicken breast, whisk together the yogurt, ginger, garlic, and oil, then set aside. if there is any remaining dry spice mix, stir it into the yogurt mixture!
for the masala: saute onions in butter in a dutch oven over med-high until translucent and turning golden around the edges, about 10m. add garlic, ginger, chile, garam masala, tomato paste, stir constantly and cook until fragrant, 2-3m.
add the tomatoes, sugar, and salt, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15-30. stir in the cream and return to a simmer, then remove from heat and cover to keep warm.
while the sauce simmers, heat your oven broiler. dip the chicken into yogurt mixture and coat well, and arrange on wire rack set in foil-lined rimmed baking sheet or broiler pan. broil chicken until done and exterior is lightly charred in spots, 10 to 18 minutes, flipping chicken halfway through cooking. when done, remove, let cool slightly, then chop into chunks and toss it into the warm sauce. i served over plain white rice, but jasmine would've gone well.
after doing the food prep for the masala and failing to wear gloves while chopping the serano chile, i decided an excellent way to remove the last of the chile oil from my fingers would be to make some guacamole. you don't really need me to tell you how to make guacamole, do you? but i will anyway:
3 avocados, peeled, pitted, and mashed
1 fresh tomato, seeded and cored, then diced
1/2 onion, minced
1 tbsp lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste
cilantro, if you're that sort of heathen
combine above ingredients and eat. like i said, you probably didn't need me to tell you that.
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